Design forming apparatus



July 19, 1960 R. F. sTocK'roN 2,945,315

DESIGN FORMING APPABTUS Filed Feb. 12, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 1 I 2 2f-?,,Z J

July 19, 1960 R. F. sTocKToN 2,945,315

' DESIGN FoRMING APPARATUS Filed Feb. l2, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n, JjINVENTOR. J2 @wazzj @Zac-#5622 States` DESIGN FORMING APPARATUS RaymondF. Stockton, Sunland, Calif. (5.00 W. Avenue K, Lancaster, Calif.)

This invention relates to design forming apparatus and more particularlyto a form thereof adaptedfor use by Children.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a design formingapparatus capable of being arranged and interconnected to form both aprimary or underlying design-and a second design imposed thereon.AAnother object of the invention is to provide a design formingapparatus capable of arrangement to form superimposed designs which alsohas the capacity of permitting the basic or underlyingrdesign to remainundisturbed while the secondary is removed, altered or replaced withanother design.

i A further object of the invention is to provide va design formingapparatus in which the foregoing objects are realized in practicecomprising pluralities of connector elements having at least a pair ofholes extending therethrough -parallel to each other and Vparallel tothesurface upon which the design is created 4and at least one other holeextending therethrough parallel to said pair of holes and disposed in aplane more rem'ote from said e surface, together with pluralities "of-rods and'other-eleI ments having portions thereof receivable inselected ones of said holes in the formation-of an innite variety ofdesigns.v -V e v e With the foregoing objects in view, .together withsuch other objects and` advantages as may hereafter appear,

' the invention resides in the parts and in the construction,

combination and arrangement of parts, described, by way of example, inthe following specification of one mode of execution of the invention;reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part ofsaid specification and in which drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of certain of the parts of a design formingapparatus embody-ing the present inventio'narranged to show how the'4various parts vmay be ihtertted together. A

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing certain of the parts arranged to form abasic or underlying design,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the addition of otherparts in an overlying design arrangement,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the staggered line 4--4 of Fig. 3,and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the various parts of the design formingapparatus employed in the combinations illustrated in the precedingfiigures.

Referring first to Fig. 5, the illustrated embodiment of the inventioncomprises a hanger member 1, having a hole 2 therethrough by which itmay be supported by a nail or the like on a wall or other surface and arod receiving hole 3 disposed below and at right angles to the hole 2, aplurality of connector members 4 and 4 which are identical in sideelevation but of different Widths; the connector elements 4 and 4' eachhaving a pair of holes 5, 5 disposed one near each end of the member andbeing parallel to each other and to the base surfaces 6, vand a thirdhole 7 parallel to the holes 5, 5 but disposed midwayY between them andoutwardly from am f I' j Patented Julylg, 1960' the 'surfaces' 6, 6 agreater distance'than the holes 5, 5. The apparatus also includespluralities of each ofV two other connectors 8 and 8 which are generallysimilar in side outline and widths to the connectors 4 and 4',respectively inhaving pairs of rod receiving holes 9 adjacent the endsthereof in similar location to the holes 5, 5 but having a second pairof holes parallel to and spaced midway between the holes 9', 9' insteadof the single hole 7 in the members 4 and 4. Allof said connectorelements are of such thickness that the length of said holestherethrough is at least greater than the diameter of the` holes wherebythe other design forming elements inserted in said holes, as will behereinafter described, are held against lateral deflection in saidconnector elements withl resultant stability of the created design. The`said iirst named pairs of holes in all of said connector elements'areAequally spaced to create a modular dimension in the formation ofdesigns. The rest of the apparatus comprises elements adapted to iitinto the holes lin the various connector elements and in theexample hereshown comprises pluralities of straight rods '110, 11, 12 and V11i ofvarying lengths, other rods 14 with one end thereof bent at right anglesoffset rods 15 and 16 with parallel, oppositely disposed straight endslaterally offset from each other a distance equal to the spacings of thecenter holes of connector elements having their' ends connected Vby arod pa-ssingthrough the endv holes thereof and with the end portionsthereof beingY of diiferent lengths as indicated by the end 17 of therod 16, ring elements 18 having straight ends 19 adaptedv to be` sprungapart to engage one of the holes in a connector element, semicircularelements 20 having straight' ends `adapted to engage Ythe holes in oneside of a pair of connector elements when arranged in spaced enclY toendy relation,` U-Kshapedfelements 21 having parallel straightv endsofequal length and U-shaped elements 22 having straight 'ends of unequallength. All of 'the' above ele-' ments are provided'in sufficientquantities to enable the construction of a'wide variety designs and thusthere can be provided sets of varying sizes and sets already purchasedcan be amplified by the mere addition of other quantities of thecomponent parts( It is to beln'oted that since the holes 5 of theconnectors 4 and 4 and the holes 9 of the connectors 8 Vand 8' areequally spaced from each other with resultant creation of a modulardimension for a `created design in a direction at right angles to thelength of the holes,: the spacing between like other holes in theconnector elements will be spaced from each other either at thesaidmodular distance or a multiple of `such modulardistance.. Whereadjacent connector'elements are mounted sideby-side on one of therod-like elements and extend therefrom in opposite directions thecentral or other intermediate holes therein will be spaced from eachother at a distance which is equal to the said modular distance. Wherethe connector elements are disposed in end-to-end relation but at theiradjacent ends are mounted on laterally adjacent rods, these central orother intermediate holes will be spaced from each other a distance whichis twice the modular distance. Thus, the oifset shown in the members '15and 16 is equal to the said modular dimension while the end portions ofthe members 20, 21 and 22 are spaced apart a distance which is twice themodular dimension.

Fig. l illustrates manners in which the various elements may be combinedwith each other. The iigure is not intended to show the development of aspecific design but only that a series of the longer rods 10 may beconnected in parallel spaced modular relation by the connectingelements; some of each of the connecting elements 4, l4', 8 and 8 beingthus employed. This gure also illustrates the use of the offset members15 and 16 showing l that the oifsetdimension is equal 4to. the spacingofthe modulari-dimension,-between .adjacent-rods 10, it being notedfthatapair-of the members z-isishownremployed toforma ringe-.engaging twoconnector members While two or the-members 22 are engaged with connectormern bers which are vlaterallyfoiset from each other. v

lReferring nexttovlig. 2zthere,4 is shown the-first stage inVthefclevelopment of acompleteddesign comprising the formation [of thebasic or underlying design. In this illustration, aplurality tof longrods ,havebeen a1'- sembledso that the assembly can proceed withoutinterest being lost due to the parts falling apart at one point Whileassembly is -being made at another point in the design. Still further,the design can be changed and altered while it is being built up when itis desired to make changes in some arrangement o'r when it is desired toapply a diierent overl-yingdesign on an existing basic designarrangement oftheelements.

While inthe vforegoing specication therehas been described apresentlyfpreferredembodiment ofthe invention, it is not to beinferred,therefrom that'the invention is to be deemed to be limited to the exactdetails thus disl closed by Way of example, and-it-will`beunderstoodthat ranged in spaced modular relationby being arranged in. n

pairs which are slightly `alternately laterally offset -from eaclr otherYand with; thek rods of .each Lpair 1 connected to- ,gethergbyrspacedVconnector elements 8 and'with the Iad,- jacent pairs ofYrodszinterconnected bytwirptlirs ofthe connector elements 4 withonevof-reach pair thereofdisposedz-at oppositersidesyofthe membersrS-and the ends ofaeach-,pair-of the rods I'U'being connected byconnectorelements.;f8.r Additionally, the uppermost of the .rods 10-carrics. thehanger 1 by which the design may be suspended while 'beingformed and inline with Vthe hanger, the pairs -of rods 10,are connectedkby connector memberst. Also, the lowerrnost rod 10is'also provided withaconnector element 4 depending from` the nud-length thereof. e

vFinally in- Figs. 3 and 4 -the basic design started in Fig. 2 is shownwith the embellishment of a second design imposed thereon comprising theadditionof short rods 12' to certainzofthe Ymembers 8 connectingStheends of; pairs oftherods 10, the-additionof -rings 18r to themembers whichare anked by the connectory members-4 andthe4 additionoffshort rodswll, 12vand 13to thecentenholes ofthemembers 4.

It is=-obvious that any of the other` elements 14, 15, 16,

20-21 -and122 could be combined with the basic design in-anfininitenumber of Ways and itis `Vbelieved to `be equally obvious thatthefbasicdesign .issusceptible :of infinite variation. Making-thevarious`elements. of various colors further `increases thefpossibilitesfofmaking different designk effects.

' `tIt is` particularly to be'noted that the `assembly ofthevariouselements involvesonly the tting ofthe rods andA the,.rod;like endportionsV of the other elements into selected-holesinthe .connectorelements so thattheskill required forinitial:use is Aonlyithatofasmallchild. However,` theYV capability of the apparatus to-befforrned intocomplex designs issufciently ,great and challenging to rmakefit attractive to older children aswell. Moreover, the nature oftheV interconnectionof the parts'is such thatasit is assembled in anydesign, the parts stay asthe invention includes allsuch modications inthe parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of partsas shall come within the purview of the appended claim.

`I claim: e

In a design forming apparatus.includingpluralities of groups of rod-likedesign forming elements of dilerent lengths and other pluralities of`groups `of rod-like elements having different configurations, thecombination of a plurality` of connector elements eiective tointerconnect parallel portions of selected ones ofsaid rod-like elementsin the formation of plural interconnected designs including at least onedesign Asuperimposed on another; said connector elementseachfhavingarflat surface and having aplurality of parallel,,rodreceivingholesextending therethrough finlines,paralle1 t0 said flat/surfaceandparallel to each other, certain of said holes in each ofthe-connector elements beingspaced a uniform lesserdistance from. theplaneof said flat surface and certain other of .said holesfinleach ofsaid connector elements being spaced a uniform .greater/distance fromsaid hat surface whereby said connectorelements and said rod-likeelements may be combinedy in a rst design based on said iirst namedholes and otherrod-like, elements combined with s aid `otherholesvinsaid connectors inasecond designk superimposed; onvsaidii1."st-,d'esign; each of` said connector elements being -in the formofasegmental portion of a torusfof rectangularcrosssectionand said rodreceivingholes in said connectorelements extending only parallel. to`the,v axis, of/generationrof the torus.

References `Cited yinthetile of this patent UNITEDI STATES. `PATENTS

